eyes of starlight
by promisesofhappiness
Summary: It only takes a glance, and Bard finds himself lost in eyes full of starlight


When he wakes up, his head is throbbing ominously, deep pulses of pain making him wish he was still unconscious. Yet, memory catches up with him and his breath catches in his throat. _The treacherous little worm of a master. _He hoped Bain and the girls would be alright. He had to get out of there. But as he tried his luck with the bars, they were proven sturdy and unyielding. He pleaded with the guards to let him out, let him check on his children. But they only laughed at him and merrily kept on drinking their faces stupid. The fouls.

Suddenly, screams were heard in the distance, and the ground shook with great force. It was too sudden, to violent to be a mere earthquake. It came from the mountain. The greedy dwarf had awakened the dragon.

_"The Lord of Silver Fountains. The King of Carven Stone. The King Beneath the Mountain. Shall come into his own. And the bells shall ring in gladness, at the Mountain King's return. But all shall fail in sadness, and the Lake will shine and burn."_

"Don't you know what's coming? You need to let me out"  
Once more, his pleas where ignored. Enraged, he screamed and punched the wall beside the bars, desperation climbing up his throat. Not his kids. Then, a subtle wave of a guard was enough to lead his eyes to the ground near his feet, where a key was hidden in the dirt. He nodded at the guard and took it, hands shaking. He didn't have much time. Thankfully, the door made no noise as it opened, and he thanked the Vala. It would give him much more time till the guards realised his absence and came after him. By that time, he would have hopefully managed to smuggle the kids out, into Mirkwood, where Thranduil had promised to look after them in case...in case Bard met his ultimate end.

There was a sword carefully concealed behind a wooden box, and he took it, clutching it carefully. This was not his weapon of choice, but it had to do. There were many enemies hiding in the night. Sounds of fight reached his ears, sharp blades cutting through the air. Inhumane grunts filling the air. Orcs in Laketown?

As he headed towards the source of the sounds, he was greeted by the grotesque sight of beheaded orcs, some still twitching. Grimacing, he finished them of. This was no time for being light-hearted. And then he saw them. Two figured bodily fighting. An orc, too big and surprisingly skilled, and perhaps the most beautiful elf he had had the pleasure of meeting. He, for it was a male, had long golden hair and a tall and lean body. He was surprisingly beautiful and light-colored for a wood elf. Then he realised. This was the King's only son, Legolas Greenleaf.

The Orc slammed its head to the elf's face and run of, while the prince was trying to regain his senses. Bard watched, unable to move, as the elf cleaned the blood off of his face, bewildered at the sight. Had he never bled before?

"The Dragon's awake"

Bard winced at his own words, wishing he had chosen a better way to announce his presence. The eld's eyes found his, and what breath he had left his body on the sight of those gorgeous blue eyes. They reminded him of the crystal blue sky in the heart of summer, when the sun shone and melted the ice of the lake. But, they were colder, not unlike the far away light of the brightest star. Eyes of starlight.

"I am aware. You will have to forgive me, for I must depart."  
He spoke with relative easiness, but the words flowed strangely off of his tongue. Then he was gone, riding of in the night, chasing after the orc he had been fighting with, blond hair shining in the darkness.

* * *

He had done it. He had finally done it. The dragon has fallen. Where his ancestor had failed, Bard had succeeded. Join filled him, and tears burned in his eyes. They were free. The loss of the Laketown still made his heart burn in regreat and pain, but most citizens had escaped. He shivered and looked around

Legolas stood close to him, and his eyes shone merrily, and, in the name of Manwe and his mighty eagles, he was beautiful. So much, it made his heart ache with need, in a way he hadn't felt since the death of his wife, several years ago. Legolas smiled, and it was like the sun burst in Bard's chest, and he laughed with joy and happiness. Yes, they were finally free. Until horns sounded there was an army of Orcs and wargs heading their way.

* * *

There had been great losses in the battle. The ground had turned crimson by the blood of the fallen man, elves and dwarves alike. They had even lost Thorin and his nephews. The had died defending their uncle. He saw the grief in Tauriel's face, looking at the body of the youngest of the line of Durin. Thranduil was same yards away, inspecting, contemplating. Legolas told him the lands would never forget the massacre, that it would always grieve the dead. As they all would. He had never been a fan of dwarves, and especially of the arrogant 'king under the mountain', but his death had not made him happy. But, it was all over, and they had the chance to rebuilt everything, to start anew. Shining eyes met his, and he was sure it would all be alright.

* * *

Bard went to his ancestral home of Dale at the foot of the Lonely Mountain. He rebuilt the ruined town and in TA 2944, he became King of Dale. He maintained good relations with the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and trade flowed freely up People came to settle in Dale from miles around and the land that had been withered by Smaug became bountiful once more.

Bard died in TA 2977. His son Bain succeeded him as King of Dale. His last wish had been for Legolas remember him when he finally saw the open sea...


End file.
